School kids play with one of photographer David Guttenfelder's cameras at Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, North Korea. David Guttenfelder/The Associated Press

February 27, 2013

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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, for the first time in history, has opened up the country's servers to visitors, allowing the outside world a rare glimpse of the Hermit Kingdom. Seizing the opportunity, this week Instagram is spotlighting the work of David Guttenfelder (@dguttenfelder), Associated Press Chief Photographer for Asia, who is currently on assignment in North Korea.

"I feel I can help open a window into a place that would otherwise rarely be seen by outsiders," said Guttenfelder. "As one of the few international photographers who has ever had regular access to the country, I feel a huge responsibility to share what I see and to show it as accurately as I can."

The shots have a surreal quality to them. Filters aside, it feels like you're staring into a time capsule. Here, in no particular order, are a few of Guttenfelder's dream-like iPhone snaps:

1. A pin of former supreme leader Kim Jong Il sits over the heart of every North Korean citizen, says Guttenfelder

(David Guttenfelder/The Associated Press)

2. Commuters pass by propaganda posters on their way to work

(David Guttenfelder/The Associated Press)

3. A North Korean tour guide

(David Guttenfelder/The Associated Press)

4. A doctor stands by a set of video monitors inside a Pyongyang hospital